Samuel L. Jackson has starred in a variety of different movie roles, all of which came with different requirements. His role in Tarzan, however, needed the Oscar-nominee to look a certain way. But when Jackson was hired for the project, he wasn’t the size the director thought he was. And he nearly got fired from the movie because of it.

Samuel L. Jackson was passionate about ‘Tarzan’ because he played an impressive historical figure

Samuel L. Jackson | Arturo Holmes/Getty Images

Starring in Tarzan wasn’t just a job for the Pulp Fiction star. It was also a learning experience. In the film, Jackson portrays George Washington Williams, a historical figure who he found captivating.

“George Washington Williams was a man of so many, many talents and such bravery,” Jackson told Square Mile. “As a 14-year-old kid, he went off and fought in the war between the States; and after doing that, he went off to fight in the Mexican-American War; and then came back and joined the US cavalry. He served his country in whatever way he was asked to serve it. And he went on to run for office, became a preacher, and politician, and do so many other things.”

Playing the character wasn’t just a learning experience for him. Jackson took the role because it could’ve been a learning experience for others.

“It was an opportunity to let people know that there was this man, historically, who actually went to the Congo and wrote a letter to King Leopold II about what he was doing to its people,” he asserted.

Samuel L. Jackson was nearly fired from ‘Tarzan’ because of his weight

Reading about George Washington Williams left Jackson captivated by the role. So much so that he wanted to do him justice. But initially, he didn’t look the part.

“When [director David Yates] and I first met and he cast me in the film, I looked one way,” Jackson told All Hip Hop, recalling that he lost 30 pounds for a previous movie role.

But The Avengers alum would soon learn that his weight loss was the problem. He was so dedicated to the part that the actor chose to forego his vegan diet to stay on the project.

“[David] was very kind to me and nice and I got back to my hotel that night and my agent called and said, ‘they’re going to fire you if you don’t gain 20 pounds.’ It’s like, ‘what?’ She’s like, ‘they want you to be formidable.’ I said, ‘I thought being thin like this would make Alexander look bigger,’” he recalled.” I went out that night and bought a three-stack burger and stopped being a vegan pretty much immediately.”

How Samuel L. Jackson felt about Alexander Skarsgard giving him a piggyback ride in the film

In the film, there’s a sequence where Tarzan, played by Alexander Skarsgard, has to physically carry Jackson. Some thought the scene was done in its entirety through CGI, but Jackson debunked the theory.

“I actually got on Alex Skarsgard’s back, and swung on a vine. We swung on the vine successfully. We went from a thousand-foot tree to a moving train. I mean, insurance company was good with that,” he quipped about the sequence to USA Today.

But there might have been some real trouble actually executing the sequence for the Django Unchained star. And it was mostly due to Skarsgard’s size.

“I didn’t have to imagine that. His back was big, and I could hardly get my legs around him. He was working out way too much,” he added.